It’s not yet party time for Liverpool

LEICESTER. - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has played down his team’s 13-point lead at the top of the English Premier League football table as he wants to stay focused on the job at hand.

The Reds maintained their relentless march towards the title with a 4-0 win at Leicester, but Klopp is still refusing to get carried away.

Despite a one-sided first half at the King Power Stadium, Liverpool had only Roberto Firmino’s header to show for their dominance, but three goals in eight second-half minutes underlined their superiority against a second-placed Foxes side they made look second rate.

A James Milner penalty was followed by Firmino’s second of the night, and his fourth in three games following his goals in the Club World Cup, with Trent Alexander-Arnold wrapping up the victory with the goal his exceptional performance deserved.

However when asked about the 13-point lead, Klopp said it is just a number and nothing has changed regards their mindset.

“We are focused on the next games -

Wolves, Sheffield United, Everton, Tottenham, Manchester United - the next five games. It doesn’t sound like anything is decided in my ears,” he said.

“We have to play all of them and we try with all we have to make sure we are ready for these games, so the number is not relevant to us.”

Alexander- Arnold suggested it was “probably our best game of the season”, yet Klopp did not agree with his right wingback, and felt that Liverpool have played better this season against Manchester City and Arsenal in particular.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers conceded Liverpool were now “going to be very, very hard to stop” in their bid for the title. Rodgers said: “They are a fantastic team with confidence high after not losing many games over an 18-month period.”

Liverpool are back in action when they entertain Wolves tomorrow.

And Klopp still insisted it is not yet party time for Liverpool despite tightening their grip on the English Premier League football title race with a dominant 4-0 thrashing of second-placed Leicester to open up a 13-point lead at the top of the table on Thursday night.

Liverpool also have a game in hand over Leicester and seem destined to finally end a 30-year wait to win the title.

“With all the things around us, the biggest quality of my boys is that we are not listening really, we are completely focused on what we have to do,” Klopp told Amazon Prime.

“I’m really good at partying my friends will tell you, but I never wanted to have a party without a reason.

“If there is something to celebrate I will tell you, until then we will work.”

Fresh from winning the Club World Cup for the first time in Qatar on Saturday, Klopp’s men showed no sign of fatigue from a congested December schedule as they outclassed the Foxes from start to finish.

Alexander-Arnold was a constant threat rampaging forward from right-back and stung Kasper Schmeichel’s palms inside the first minute before Klopp soon had his head in his hands when Sadio Mane somehow spooned Mohamed Salah’s dangerous cross wide.

An opener for the runaway league leaders was only a matter of time and duly arrived just after the half hour mark when Alexander-Arnold’s cross was headed powerfully down past Schmeichel.

The Danish goalkeeper had ensured Leicester’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday was not far more comprehensive and needed to be at his best again to keep the Foxes in the game as he saved one-onone from Mane moments later.

Two heavy defeats in five days have proved to be a reality check for Leicester’s title ambitions with their focus now on making sure they hold off a chasing pack including Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United to secure a return to the Champions League.

“It’s important there is a little bit of perspective,” said Schmeichel.

“If you told us we would be in the position we are at the start of the season we would have taken it.

“We take this as inspiration, that’s the level. Those are probably the two best teams in the world at the minute and that’s the level we have to aspire to be.”

Liverpool, by contrast, demonstrated why they are Champions League winners and Premier League champions in waiting.

Klopp’s men finally had the breathing space they desired via the arm of Caglar Soyuncu as he handled Alexander-Arnold’s corner 20 minutes from time.

Milner had only been on the field a matter of seconds and stroked home the penalty with his first touch.

Three minutes later, Firmino doubled his tally of goals and Alexander-Arnold added a third assist with a driven low cross that the Brazilian expertly cushioned before slotting into the top corner.

Alexander-Arnold then capped a magnificent performance by blasting low and hard beyond Schmeichel into the bottom corner.

The Boxing Day card marks the halfway point of the Premier League season, but even with half the season to play, Liverpool’s march towards the title looks unstoppable.

“It is theirs to lose,” added Schmeichel. - AFP